Sectional tracker-boarl.



PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

.11. M. SMITH.

SEGTIONAL TRACKER BOARD Arrp'mnmn run we. a, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY .SMI'III, ()l" (filth-\GO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORTO LYON & IIErILY, OF CHICAGO. lLLIXOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SE CTION AL TRACKER-B OARI Specification of Letters Patent. Application tiled December 6,1905. Serial No- 290,525.

To all whom'it may concern:

lie it known that I, HARRY M. Snn'u, a citizen of 1 he United States of America, anda resident of thicago,

(lookcounty, Illinois, have invented a certain new and .nseiul Improvement in Sectional 'lraeker-Boards. of

which the follmving is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trackerboards for self-playing musical instruments, and has 'liable to 'warping or change incident to the wea her.

' 'lhes'e and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are obtained by my device, an embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a bottom viewv of my improved tracker-board. Fig. 2 is artop view of the same. Fig. 3. is a view of a single section thereof. Fig. 4 is a sectioual view on line 4-4 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Like letters indicate like parts in the several figures oi the drawing.

Referring now to the foregoing drawings, A represents a tracln'r-board comprising a central section a and side sections a, a at and a B represents a long opening through the tracker-board adapted to receive the squared ends C-O oi the tubes DD, which extend from the traeker-board to channels in the frame of the instrument in which the primary pneumatics are located. On the under side of the tracker-board are secured a series of collars E-E through which extends a rod 1', adapted to hold the individual sections together. The under side of the tracker-board is also provided with a second series of collars'secured thereto,

, so arranged as that. there shall be two collars secured to -each sectiou,t'0r instance, in section zi -one (G) unthreaded and one (0) threaded. On the under side of section a are also two collars, one (H) unthreaded 1 nd one (ll) threaded. These collars'on the different sections are all in line, and adaptedto have a rod J pass through the'series of collars. This rod J is provided at several points with threaded portions, such threaded portions K, L, being adapted to engage the threaded ollars or nuts G and H. On that: portion of the rod J located beneath the central section a are placed pins M and M adapted to abut against collars NN secured to the central section. The purpose of these pins is to prevent an" lateral movement of the rod with respect to he central section, and thus prevent any displace- Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

ment of the section itself. Attached to one end of the rod J is a disk or thumb-piece O by means of which the rod J is revolved. v i

teferring to the operation of my device, the sections are fitted together, allowing between each section such slight distance as the season of the year or the tempera: ture of the room may require. When through reason of hygrometric conditions, the music roll contracts or expands, compensation may be made for such contraction or expansion by turning the rod J. Inasmuch is the sections are comparatively small, and the contraction and expansion'are from the center, it is unnecessary to make any change in the position of the central section. it being only necessary to shift th position of the side sections.

In order to properly compensate for the change in width of the roll, it is necessary to change the distance from the center to the extreme end of the tracker-board in an increasing ratio of distance. This is accomplished by making the pitch of the threaded portion K of a less degree of inclination than that of the threaded portion L at the end'of the rod.- I find in practice that good results are obtained by making the pitch of the threaded portions L, K, inthe proportion of two to one.

In the use of articles of this description, in which a. roll of music provided with openings arranged to register with the openings of the tracker-board is used, much ditlicultyis occasioned through the fact that owing to' conditionsin the temperature and humidity, the shifting of the holes in the paper prevents a proper registration of such holes with the corresponding holes in the tracker-board. This, it is evident, will make the music faulty when produced under such conditions.

By the use of my improved device, I am enabled, after properly adjusting the position of the different; sections of the tracker-board, to meet the existing conditions and to take care of any changes occasioned through variations in the width of the paper, with a corresponding deviation in the proper location of ,the holes therein It is evident that my invention is capable of being altered to a considerable extent without departing threaded collard or nutg and screw-threaded portions of the rod. i

I claim:

1. in an article of the class described, 'the combination with a tracker hoard comprising an immovable contra] sr-ctlon, and a plurality of movable sldu' sections. of means for varying the position of such side sr-ctions, said mi'ans comprising collars or nuts with threads of varying pitch. a rod having threaded portions corresponding thorr-wlth and adapted to engage said nuts or collars, and stops to cugage the collars on the ccntral suction of 1110 Ci'llilfll section of the tracker.

2. In an article of the class dcscrihod, the combination with a tracker-hoard comprising an lmmovahln nml horizontal section, of horizontal side Scciions adjaw-m lo (-ach otlu-r, rods holding: said sections LOLU-HH'I'. a si-rii-s' of collars mountcd on the trackcr scclions and snpporlina said rods.- and moans for varying tho dis ant-(- hctww-n adjacnnt svctions. said moans comprising \'-thrvadi-d i101- lions on one of said rods, adnptcd to orig-ago rm-rns mmljng ihl'cads in said collars, rhlihrcads of said rods and ('nllals living of dim-rum pitch for diifcrcnt sol-lions.

Signed by mc [his 22nd day oi lice" lilo-T HARRY M. S.\li'lll. 

